GO GREEN

Planning an Orchard

If you want to enjoy fresh fruit,
planting an orchard is a great idea. You can grow a range of different fruits
together or create a single fruit orchard. The choice is yours.

Orchards are not only a great source of
food they are beautiful spaces that create an oasis for people as well as
wildlife. A spring picnic in an orchard that is in full bloom is a great way to
enjoy the first sun of the season.

How many trees you can put into your
orchard is governed by the space you have available. The amount of space you
have also has an impact on the type of trees you can plant.

The space each tree needs

If you know which trees you would like
to include find out how much space they need to grow and fruit properly. Doing
this enables you to calculate how many of each you can fit in.

Pollination

Some trees require a partner tree to be
able to pollinate and produce fruit. Bear in mind that you will get a better harvest
if you plant these trees close together. Other trees can self-pollinate this
means that they can be planted more or less where you want to put them.

Soil type and drainage

The type of soil you have impacts on
the type of fruit trees you can plant. It makes sense to find out the PH of
your soil and buy accordingly. Fruit trees are not particularly cheap, so you
need to take the time to buy the best type and varieties for your soil type and
climate. Nurseries like Chrisbowers.co.uk
offer plenty of advice as well as selling a good range of quality fruit trees.

Most fruit trees like fertile
well-drained soil. If your soil does not fit into this category, you will need
to condition it and improve the drainage before planting your orchard. Remember
to re-measure the PH after you have done this. Depending on what you add to the
soil, you can end up changing the PH of your soil.

Other things to bear in mind

If you have utility pipes running
through the land you plan to use for your orchard you need to bear this in
mind. The roots of big trees like walnuts can easily reach these pipes.

Bear in mind property boundaries. You
will need to leave enough space to be able to prune any branches that start to
grow over into your neighbours plot.

You also need to think about whether
you are going to use what you grow. There is no point in planting fruit you are
definitely not going to eat. If you are going to plant more than one tree of a
certain fruit, it makes sense to plant one early and one late variety. That way
you can harvest for longer.

Drawing up a plan

Draw out your orchard before you actually buy your plants. Do it to
scale and you will be able to see any gaps and fill them in to make the best
use of your land.